Destruction engines carrying a hollow charge



-Dec. 22, 1959 H. P. G. A. R. VON ZBOROWSKI 2,918,005

DESTRUCTION ENGINES CARRYING A HOLLOW CHARGE Filed Aug. 18. 1951 hill/EN ran.- I wfz/w/r 1 7/ 5/11? ran 2304 0100 A TTGRIVEYS United States Patent DESTRUCTION ENGINES CARRYING A HOLLOW CHARGE The present invention relates to destruction engines carrying a hollow charge, that is to say an explosive charge the front part of which is limited by a concave surface of suitable shape to produce the well known hollow charge effect. The expression destruction engine includes all missiles, either self-propelled or not, fitted with an explosive charge and includes, in particular, shells, bombs, hand bombs, torpedoes, flying bombs, guided missiles, mines. My invention is more especially concerned with guided flying missiles.

It is known that detonation of a conventional hollow charge (having a concave front surface of at least substantially conical or frusto-conical shape) forms, in the wall which is subjected to its action, a hole having the general shape of a cone the apex of which is turned frontwardly, which hole may, if the hollow charge is sufliciently powerful, extend from one face to the other of said wall. In this case, the wall in question is truly perforated, but the area of the orifice formed in the face directly subjected to the action of the hollow charge 'is much greater than the area of the orifice formed in the opposite face of said wall, the section of this last mentioned orifice being in all cases substantially smaller than the front section area of the hollow charge.

Thus the wall is but relatively little damaged and the destructive efiect obtained beyond said wall consists merely in the action of the thin jet of high pressure and high temperature gas which passes through the relatively small orifice formed in the inner face of the wall.

In order to obtain a sufficient area of this last mentioned orifice, it would be necessary to use a hollow charge of prohibitive size.

The object of my invention is to provide a destruction engine which obviates these drawbacks.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section with parts cut away of a guided flying missile made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of this engine, with portions cut away so as to show the hollow charge;

Figs. 3 and 4 are two explanatory diagrams intended to show the effect of an engine such as that of Fig. 1 upon an armour plate.

In the following description, it will be supposed that the missile that is described is intended to be used against armoured structures, such as tanks or ships.

The flying missile shown by the drawings includes a central. body 1 containing, among other elements, the power plant for propelling said missile, this body I carrying a wing system 2 and possibly a tail unit (not shown).

In the example shown by the drawing, the wing system is constituted by an annular wing 2 connected with central body 1 through radial arms 3.

According to my invention, the explosive charge is constituted by a mass 4 the front part of which is provided with at least one groove 4a opening frontwardly 2,918,006 Patented Dec. 22, .1959

and the general line of which constitutes aclosed curve and preferably, as it will be supposed hereinafter, a circle coaxial with body 1.

The longitudinal (axial) section of this groove 4a is determined in accordance with the principles which serve to determine the generatrix of the central cavity of a conventional hollow charge, which cavity is in particular of conical, frusto-conical or ogival shape. n J

,By way of example, in "the example shown bythe drawing, the longitudinal section of groove 4 zflisfir'ifthe form of a' trapezium the longer base of which'is turned frontwardly. g V

This explosive charge 4 maybe housed in the front portion of central body 1 but,preferably, when the missile isprovided, as sliown' by the drawing. with an annular wing 2, this charge 4 is housed in said annular wing 21" Firing means are to be provided for igniting said charge 4, which means may be constituted by a striker rod 5 controlling, through a relay 6, detonators 7 disposed inside charge 4.

In all cases, it will be advantageous, in order to obtain an instantaneous ignition of the whole of the explosive charge 4, to provide a plurality of detonators 7 distributed, preferably at regular intervals, inside this charge, prefera-bly near the rear edge thereof.

Such a destructive engine acts upon an armour plate P (Figs. 3 and 4) in the following manner:

When the explosive charge is detonated, every section of annular groove 4a behaves as an elementary hollow charge producing in plate P a hole a substantially in the form of a cone the apex of which is turned frontwardly. The total of these elementary holes 0 corresponds to a continuous and closed cut made in plate P, the portion P of plate P that is limited by this cut (Fig. 3) being thus removed, whereby a circular hole 0 (Fig. 4) is formed in plate P, the diameter of this hole 0 corresponding to the diameter of the front groove 4a of charge 4.

Now, if the area of this hole 0 is compared with the cross section of the front part of charge 4, it is found that this hole area is larger (practically from 1.5 to 10 times larger) than said cross section, whereas, in the case of conventional hollow charges, the area of the outlet portion of the hole ranges from to M of the area of the inlet portion of this hole.

Thus, the area of the hole produced by an annular hollow charge according to my invention will be several thousand times greater than that of the outlet orifice produced by a conventional hollow charge having the same front cross section (average case).

The hole thus formed in the wall may be used, according to my invention, to introduce beyond said wall P, a delayed explosion charge such as 8, carried by the central body. Ignition of this charge 8 is obtained from striker rod 5 through a relay 9 arranged so that this second charge 8 explodes only after it has passed beyond orifice O.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed what I deem to be practical and efficient embodiments of my invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A flying missile which comprises, in combination, an annular wing having a fore-and-aft axis and having leading and trailing edges and having a tunnel-shaped passage therethrough, a mass of explosive of annular shape housed in said wing so as to be located wholly outside of the tunnel-shaped passage, the front edge portion aamqq of said annularmass of explosive being provided with a groove opening directly frontwardly and extending along said front edge portion, the cross section of said groove y a P anepa ins t o a d. axis being hat a vntional hollow charge cavity, movable means carried by said missile extendingin front of the leading edge of the wing for engagement with a target, and means operatively connected with said movable means to detonate said explosive upon contact of the movable means with a target. 2, A flying missile which comprises, in combination, an annular wing having a fore-and-aft axis and having leading and trailing edges and having a tunnel-shaped passage therethrough, a mass of explosive of annular shape housed in said wing so as to, be located wholly outside of the tunnel-shaped passage, the front edge portion of said annular mass of explosive being provided with a groove opening directly frontwardly and extending along said front edge portion, the cross section of said groove by a plane passing through said axis being that of a conventional hollow charge cavity, a fuselage centrally arranged in said passage and connected to the wing, and movable means carried by said fuselage extending in front of the leading edge of the wing for engagement with a target, and means operatively connected with said movable means to detonate said explosive upon contact of the movable means with a target.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED; STATES PATENTS 2,285,574 Dunajefi June 9, 1942 2,407,093 Mohaupt Sept. 3, 1946 2,425,558 Ohlendorf Aug. 12, 1947 2,521,739 Meister Sept. 12, 1950 2,587,243 Sweetman Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 973,780 France Sept. 20, 1950 

